But before you get your hopes up that a new Darkstalkers game will soon get the greenlight from the powers that be at Capcom, know this: the Japanese company wants a million requests before it reignites the vampire franchise.

"We have to keep on going," Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono told Eurogamer this morning ahead of his appearance at the launch of the Nintendo 3DS console at HMV's flagship Oxford Street store tonight.

"At the moment in Capcom's statistics, I've heard it's [the number of requests] gone over 100,000. But it's far from a million. We need to keep on going."

A new Darkstalkers game is on many fighting game fan wishlists. Although favourites Morrigan, Hsien-Ko and Felicia are playable in the recently-released Marvel vs. Capcom 3, we haven't seen a new main Darkstalkers game since 1997.

December last year US VP Christian Svensson suggested fans were in for a long wait because Capcom had its hands full with "Street Fighter X Tekken, SSFIV: 3D Edition, Street Fighter 3 Third Strike Online edition, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and maybe something else somewhere...".

Speaking today, Ono said Capcom's executives won't bat an eyelid until it has received at least half a million requests.

"One day, if it goes half a million, Capcom may raise its eyebrow a little bit and I could do what I did in London in 2007 when I announced the comeback of Street Fighter.

"In the near future, with your help, it may become true. It's on its way, because we're pretty much where we were with Street Fighter a few years back. So keep it up."

A new Darkstalkers game is Ono's "ultimate dream". But for now, fighting game fans will have to make do with the 3D Edition of Super Street Fighter IV, which goes on sale alongside the Nintendo 3DS at midnight tonight.